


Blood Of My Blood (The Consanguinity Remix)

by Burning_Nightingale



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Gen, Remix, Sith Leia Organa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-25 22:31:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15650232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burning_Nightingale/pseuds/Burning_Nightingale
Summary: Forced into a landing on Tatooine, Leia follows her instincts, and finds something unexpected.





	Blood Of My Blood (The Consanguinity Remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Flesh of My Flesh](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12147840) by [igrockspock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/igrockspock/pseuds/igrockspock). 
  * In response to a prompt by [igrockspock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/igrockspock/pseuds/igrockspock) in the [remixrevivalmadness2018](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/remixrevivalmadness2018) collection. 



> I've loved the work this fic is remixed from ever since I first read it; it was a privilege to be able to mess around with this idea a little.

When Leia is thirteen years old, she sits down at the dinner table and says, "I want you to tell me about my mother."

She feels her father's spike of anger instantly. He doesn't talk about her mother - hasn't once mentioned her in the two years she's been here. Before Leia has taken care not to bring up sensitive subjects - but now she has to know.

"I know you don't like to talk about her," she says, before her father's anger can explode, "but if I am to rule the galaxy with you, I need to know who she was, so I can continue her legacy." And to satisfy her own burning curiosity, but that she does not say.

For long, tense seconds, her father is silent. Finally he growls out, "Continue her legacy?"

It's a holdover from the lessons she received on Alderaan, but to her it still feels right. She can't acknowledge her old parents - her new father has made that clear - so instead, she needs her birth mother. She needs to  _know_. "I am continuing  _your_  legacy," she says, treading carefully, "Can I not continue hers, too?"

As her father stares, it suddenly occurs to her that he may not have liked her mother. May have parted with her on bad terms. Maybe there's a good reason he doesn't like to be reminded of her.

"Padmé."

The word is so quiet, so choked, that for a moment Leia doesn't understand what she's hearing. "Padmé?" she repeats.

She can  _feel_ something cringe back and curl in upon itself in her father, when she says that name. Outwardly, he gives no more than a curt nod. 

She has to think for a second, before she can remember why that name is familiar. "Padmé Amidala?" she asks, "The Senator? From Naboo?"

Another curt nod. 

Interesting; it seems she has traded one royal mother for another. "I am to be a queen, then," she says, "Like she was."

Her father shakes his head. "She was a queen," he says softly, "One day, you will be an Empress."

~

Seven years is a long time in the life of a Sith Apprentice. 

Leia is allowed to leave Mustafar now, finally, after years of waiting. Is allowed to serve her father from the shadows, always concealed, keeping herself and her powers, her very existence, away from the Emperor's gaze.

It's on one of these shadowy missions that she ends up with the plans to the Death Star.

"There is a flaw in the design," her father had told her, several months ago. "An  _intentionally engineered_  flaw. Given what you know of our scientists, who would you guess is the culprit?"

There were several obvious contenders, but Leia knew her father preferred a correct response over a quick one, so she took a long moment to consider. "It's Erso, isn't it?" she'd said eventually.

"It is," her father had nodded, "And given the advantage the Death Star will give the Emperor, I believe it would be wise to not mention any possible flaws within earshot of those who might be compelled to report back to him."

She hadn't meant to be anywhere near Scarif when the Rebels' plan went into action. She kept tabs on the Rebellion, the better to manipulate it to serve their purpose, and her contacts had whispered of the reappearance of Erso's daughter, of the proposal to steal the plans. A fool's errand, in Leia's eyes, but it would be interesting to see if they could, by some miracle, pull it off.

She just hadn't meant to be so close to the action.

But she can't lose a contact like Bardem; he's too valuable. 

"You owe me big time for this, Bard," she snaps, swerving through the confusion of ships and wreckage littering the sky above the busted plantary lock. " _Big_ time."

Captain Anheim Bardem, strapped into the seat behind her, winces. "If I'd known they were going to lock down the whole planet, I'd have been out of here a lot sooner."

"You couldn't just command your cruiser to get the hell out?"

"You'd be surprised how limited a Captain really is - especially when dealing with someone like Krennic."

"Let's hope the Rebels take care of him," Leia spat, dodging another oncoming ship.

That's when the communication array starts to beep wildly. "Can you take care of that?" she snaps, juking the ship back and forth.

It takes a moment for Bardem to find the right controls, but then she hears him swear loudly. "What?"

"It looks like some kind of technical readout," Bardem says, "This must be what the Rebels were after. But why would they send it to us?"

" _They_ sent it to us?"

"The transmission came from their ship."

Then Leia understands. The transmission wasn't from the Rebels - it was from her father. None of the Rebel ships have a hope of getting out of here alive, but she does. She can make sure they get what they need to bring the Emperor's greatest weapon down.

"It must be a mole; there are lots of them in the Rebel Alliance. If we have it, we can work out what the Rebels are so intent on stealing." Leia dodges around yet another ship, and suddenly sees a patch of empty space open up before them. Without thinking she guns the engine, propelling them out into clear air; and then she punches the hyperdrive, and they're away.

Behind her, Bardem breathes a huge sigh of relief. "I'm glad that's over."

"Don't be grateful yet. They probably destroyed your cruiser."

Bardem laughs. "Don't worry; she's out beyond one of the moons. My lieutenant won't move in without my word."

Leia smiles to herself. "You really are a law unto yourself, aren't you? Even within the Empire."

She can feel Bardem's self-satisfied smile. "That's why you like me so much."

_I thought you were the reason father asked me to come to Scarif_ , Leia thinks, glancing at him over her shoulder,  _But maybe I was always a backup; another way to get the plans out there_.

"Where are we going?" Bardem asks.

Leia gestures lazily with one hand. "A long, long way away."

~

Or not, since as it turns out, their hyperdrive starts making disturbing noises only an hour or two into the trip.

Luckily, there's an inhabited planet nearby.

Unluckily, that planet is Tatooine.

"All aboard for a scenic tour of the galaxy," Bardem quips sourly as they come closer to the uninviting dustball below.

"I've heard they podrace here," Leia grins, well aware of his secret weakness for the sport.

"Please, don't tempt me."

They come down in perhaps the most backward, inhospitable little outpost on the entire planet.  _Toche Station_ , as a busted up, cracked old sign at the meagre spaceport informs them. 

Leia can feel Bardem's disgust and confusion. Why would she land here, of all places? But she'd felt something as they were coming in, a little tug in her gut that she's learnt not to ignore. They probably won't find the parts to fix their ship here; but they might find something else.

"You'll have to change out of that uniform," she tells him.

"If you have any other clothes, I'd be happy to."

Leia frowns. If she were in her own ship it wouldn't be a problem; but there's little stored in the fighter besides weapons and the most basic of rations. "Wait here, then. I'll sort something out."

Outside is almost unbearably hot and dusty, with a brisk wind whipping sand into her face at a most unpleasant rate. The locals seem set on ignoring her, which suits her just fine; she makes her way to the tiny market, on the lookout for clothes. 

There's one stall selling shirts, pants and ponchos, and once she bullies the merchant into halving the price, the amount is quite reasonable. She's walking away from the market and back to the ship when she feels that  _tug_ inher gut, the whisper of the Force that she can't ignore.

She scans the crowd, looking for anything. Some sign. Something.

Her eyes are drawn to the edge of the market, where a young human boy is haggling with a Sullustan over what look like power converters. 

Whoever he is, he's the one making her Force sense go off like crazy. Bundling up her purchases under one arm, she goes over.

"I  _told_ you, that's way too high," the boy is saying, "You know I've only got so much, Rigo."

"A merchant's gotta eat, kid," the Sullustan snaps. "Now are you gonna buy something or not? Three hundred is my final offer."

The boy sighs, dejected, but Leia cuts in beside him and lays a hand on his arm. "Don't worry, I'll cover it. Three hundred, did you say?"

The Sullustan's eyes light up. "Well, that's..."

Leia fixes him with a glare. "I definitely heard you say  _three hundred_ , my friend."

Like any good businessman, he recognises when not to push. "Three hundred it is," he says, clapping his hands. 

The boy stands there, blinking, as she hands over the money, and stares as she accepts the bag of power converters from the Sullustan. They trade goodbyes, concluding their business, and then Leia grabs the boy's arm. "Come on, lackwit."

Leia only manages to drag him a few paces before he digs in his heels. "Listen, I'm not...If you're interested in, y'know, trading money for  _favours_ or that sort of thing-"

She laughs. "That's not it," she says, and tugs on his arm again. "I just had a feeling you needed a friend to step in."

He takes a cautious step towards her. "I mean...I guess..."

"I'm a newcomer here; I need someone on my side." She gives him her best winning smile. "Maybe you can show me how to get by around here, as a thank you?"

Apparently that prospect seems attractive to him; he looks a little more interested. "What kind of thing do you need help with?"

"Our ship is broken, and we are in desperate need of new parts." She tugs again on his arm. "Perhaps you'd come and have a look?"

He's still hesitant, but he follows her over to where the ship is waiting. The 'spaceport' is a joke; it's little more than a flat rectangle of permacrete, with no amenities or port authorities to speak of. 

Bardem is waiting when they enter the ship. "You picked up clothes and a tag along?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

"This is our new tour guide." Leia turns to him, "I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name?"

"Luke," the boy says, his eyes darting around the interior of the ship and catching on Bardem's Imperial uniform. 

"Right," Bardem drawls, his eyes taking in Luke from head to toe.

"Don't worry," Leia says, shoving the bundle of clothing into his arms, "You'll look like him soon enough." 

Bardem investigates what she's brought him, and holds up the poncho in disgust. "Seriously?"

"You have to blend in," Leia says, smirking. Her own outfit is rather more fashion conscious, but still neutral enough to pass for an Outer Rim smuggler. "Now, get going and change. We need parts, and then we need to get out of here."

Luke pipes up, "What exactly is it that's gone wrong, ma'am?"

"The hyperdrive," Leia says, as Bardem retreats into the cockpit out of their sight, muttering under his breath. "And call me Leia, please."

"Leia," Luke says, as if he's testing out the sound. There's an odd, questioning look in his eyes. "Well, I don't think you're going to find parts for a hyperdrive for a ship this nice here in Toche Station." His eyes narrow a little. "Why did you land  _here_ , anyway?"

"I had a hunch, but it seems I got it wrong." Leia grins at him. "But I managed to help you out, so there's at least one good outcome of our landing here."

She hears Bardem make a noise of disgust from the cockpit, and pointedly does not acknowledge it.

"You'd probably be better off in Mos Eisley or Mos Espa," Luke says. He's still hesitant, unsure, but Leia can sense the Force swirling around him like a thick cloak. It's almost distracting, the way he gives off such a strong sense of power and  _familiarity._

"You'd better point us in the right direction, then," she says.

Luke blinks. "Me?"

"You're our local guide."

He glances back toward the open ramp. "Yeah...but I have to be home..."

"I can make it worth your while," Leia says.

"She sure can, kid," Bardem says, coming back into the conversation. Somehow he looks more at home in the rough Tatooine clothes than he did in the crisp Imperial uniform. "You could make out like a bandit working for this one. Much more than moisture farming."

He's tempted; Leia can see it in his face. "What exactly do you need me to do?"

"Just give us some hints as to the local disposition. Help us find the parts we need, and haggle the merchant down to a suitable price."

"You didn't seem to need much help with Rigo," Luke says, the ghost of a grin brushing across his face.

"No, but a little local knowledge is always better." She gives him another one of her winning smiles. "We only need you to come as far as one of the bigger towns. What do you say?"

Luke hesitates, but she can see the balance tipping her way. His curiosity, his thirst for adventure, will outweigh his fear. "Alright then," he says, "Mos Eisley's closer, but Mos Espa's bigger and has more junkyards. How well does the ship fly in atmo?"

"Like a dream," Bardem says, stepping away toward the cockpit again, "Problem's with the hyperdrive, remember?"

"Doesn't mean that's the only problem," Luke says defensively, "When one system fails, the others are likely to go as well."

"Flying spaceships ain't like dusting crops, farmboy. Equipment's a bit more complicated than your farm tools."

Leia hears Luke make an indignant reply, but doesn't catch the words. She shifts her focus inward, visualises the rope-like tie that binds her across universes; and, silently, she sends out a call to her father.

He answers almost immediately. She can see him, standing on the bridge of the  _Executor_ , like a holo-image laid over the view of her own surroundings. She knows he can see something similar in return.  _You escaped Scarif, but you've not returned to Mustafar,_ he says, a hint of warning in his voice.

_Our hyperdrive has malfunctioned; we're on Tatooine._

He sends a spike of complicated,  _violent_ emotion through the bond upon hearing that name, but says only,  _When will you return?_

_Soon. I've found something interesting, though. Someone. Can you feel him, through the bond?_

She feels a tingle rush over her skin; her father using her like a amplifier, his Force sense projecting from hers and out into her environment.  _The boy,_ he hisses,  _Who is this?_

_I don't know. The Force led me to him._

Her father doesn't hesitate before ordering, _Bring him to me._

Leia smiles to herself.  _As you wish_.

Her father breaks the connection, leaving her staring at the blank, gunmetal grey bulkhead.

Her instincts were right; her father thinks there's something interesting about the boy, interesting enough to risk bringing him to their base of operations. A surge of triumph washes through her gut - the sweetness of being  _right_.

From the cockpit, Bardem calls back, "What's the holdup, Princess? We going or not?"

Leia smiles to herself. "One day," she calls back, "The correct title will be  _Empress_."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
